The process of distilling consists in converting the fluid to be
distilled into vapour, and condensing it into a fluid in another
vessel. By this process the more volatile parts of any fluid are
separated from the rest; for example, if brandy be distilled, the
spirit or alcohol it contains will be converted into vapour and will
condense in the receiver comparatively pure (see “Alcohol”), leaving
behind in the still the water, coloring matter, &c., so that the
spirit is colorless, although the brandy may have been quite brown.
Also, if common water be distilled, pure water will pass over, and
the earthy matters which the water had contained will be left behind
(for all ordinary water contains considerable quantities of earthy
matters, dissolved out from the earth over which it flows). The
vessels used for distilling are very various in their forms, to suit
the different fluids, both as to quantity and quality (see “Still”).
There is a contrivance lately used for distilling spirit from the
fermented wash containing it, by which it is allowed to flow into an
apartment full of double floors, a few inches above each other, the
upper ones being made of thin copper perforated all over with minute
holes, and on which the wash is allowed to flow to the depth of about
an inch. Into the space between the upper and lower parts of each
floor steam is admitted, which, rising through the little holes, is
condensed by the wash, giving out its heat to the spirit contained
therein, and causing it to be converted into vapour, which passes
off from the spaces between the floors to a condensing apparatus with
which they all communicate.